A defensive coordinator is in charge of the defense of a football team. A defensive coordinator's job involves recruiting, player development, planning a defensive scheme, selecting starters and creating a depth chart, and if employed by a major college football program, managing several assistant coaches. The offensive and defensive coordinators are generally considered the second in command of a football team after the head coach, and successful defensive coordinators can earn solid six figure salaries. They may also earn additional money from various sources, including sports camps and bonuses.

SEC Defensive Coordinator Salaries

The Southeastern Conference, or SEC, is the premier conference in college football. An SEC team has won the Bowl Championship Series national football championship every year since 2005. Salaries for SEC football coaches are among the highest in the country. Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Auburn defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder are the highest-paid defensive coordinators in college football at $950,000 and $850,000 a year, respectively. Tennessee defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri signed a new contact in 2012 at $800,000 per year, Georgia's Todd Grantham inked a new deal at $825,000, and LSU's John Chavis signed a mammoth three-year contact in 2012 paying him $900,000 annually.

Big 12 Defensive Coordinator Salaries

Salaries for defensive coordinators are somewhat lower on average in the Big 12. In 2010, Oklahoma's Brent Venables received $449,000, Texas A&M's Tim DeRuyter earned $400,000, and Nebraska's Carl Pelini pulled in $375,000. The defensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns, Manny Diaz, was paid $625,000 in 2011. Kansas University's Dave Campo (the former defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys) received $500,000 in 2012.

Salaries Increasing Rapidly

Football programs have increasingly become revenue centers for schools, and salaries for coaches in major college football programs have also been increasing rapidly. Many head coaches receive more than $1 million in total annual compensation, and offensive and defensive coordinators at successful programs typically command salaries in excess of $500,000. LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis will be the first assistant coach to earn more than $1 million annually, as according to his contract he will receive $900,000 in 2012, $1.1 million in 2013, and $1.3 million in 2014.

About the Author

Clayton Browne has been writing professionally since 1994. He has written and edited everything from science fiction to semiconductor patents to dissertations in linguistics, having worked for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Steck-Vaughn and The Psychological Corp. Browne has a Master of Science in linguistic anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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